The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-13
THE UNION LABOR PARTY.

conventions are as respectable or as represent
alive in character. Its proceedings were in
the main dignifed and orderly, showing that
aptitude for public meetings and for transact
ing business by parliamentary methods which
is peculiarly characteristic of Americans.
The object of the convention was to form or
assist in forming political party, and it did
all that mere convention could do in that
directon-adopted declaration of principles
and nominated city ticket. The ticket is
composed of respectable, representative men
real workingmen, not agitators, walking
delegates nor anything of that kind If
they could be elected there is no reason to
doubt that they would discharge the duties of
the offices to which they are nominated as
we'll as the average. Whether they could do
anything towards advancing the ideas advo-
Gated by the new party, or towards promoting
the interests Of workingmen as class, is
another question. Probably they could not.
The platform or declaration of principles con-
tains a number Of excellent ideas and sugges-
TONS some of which may be practicable while
Others we fear are not. Those which are prac-
ticable relate to good government and to the
general welfare, in which laboring men are no
more and no differently interested than any
body else. The Journal is prepared to favor
every declaration in the platform that
is practicable. We say this not
for the purpose of fishing after votes or of
counting an alliance for the Republican party
with the labor movement, because in politi-
cal sense We should oppose such an alliance
We are in favor of the Republican party main
tanning its organization intact aud continuing
business at the old stand. But we repeat, there
some excellent ideas in the platform.
Among these are the declarations favoring
strict control by the city Of all public corpor-
ations and the suppression of monopolies; IA
voring a revision Of the tax laws and an hon
est return of property for taxation; opposing
the metropolitan police system and granting
perpetual franchises to corporations; favoring
better sanitary laws and honest elections
All these are good ideas, and do not concern
the labor party alone. 1t must not claim a
monopoly of them. The Journal has advo-
Gated all these ideas time and again, and ex-
poets to advocate them in the future as parts
or incidents of good government. And we
expect to do this, as we have done it in the
past under the Republican flag and within
the Republican party In so far as these re-
forms are practicable, they can all be accom-
plished by the Republican party, and are
much more likely to be than by any other or
ganization, new or old.
The most distinctive part of the platform,
and the only part which seems to relate par
ticularly to the labor question, is the pre-
amble. That says
"The Union Labor party is party of
emancipation and restoration of natural rights
of which labor has been deprived by an in
dustrial system which treats human labor
force as mere merchandise, regardless Of hui
man feelings and necessities. 1t has for its
ultimate object the abolition of a system I'M
der which the workingman receives barely
enough to exist, while the larger part of the
results of his labor is accumulated in the
hands of few; of a system which beyond
measure enriches few, and beyond measure
impoverishes the mass of the people; a sys-
tenn which creates classes, and will, in course
of time, leave only two classes in existence
the very rich and the very POOR system
which is destructive Of political liberty and a
free form of government because the very
poorSwould necessarily become the slaves of
the very rich. 1t has for its ultimate object
the replacement OF this system by one under
which labor shall be independent of capital
and under which human labor force shall, for
the purpose of its erection, not be dependent
upon the will of capital"
This is largely collection of vague and
| glittering generalities, but in so far as it has
any meaning it seems to smack of socialism
| The reference to the enslavement of labor, the
arraignment of capital and the demand for
system under which ''labor shall be independ
ent of capital read like a paraphrase o.
socialistic doctrines 1t was probably pre-
pared by Socialist agitator as trap to capt
ure the convention. Certainly the homes
workingmen of indianapolis are not Socialists
nor are they the "slaves" of capital. O
course they want to better their present con
dition, as large numbers of them are doing
but they have no interest in abolishing tn
present System" The system works wei
enough in indianapolis. There are very fey
extremely rich. people here, and not many ex
tremely poor. The bulk of the popula
ton belongs to the great middle class who hav
to work at something for living We thin
very large majority of those who have t
work are thankful that they can get work, an
while they would be glad to do better an
hope and expect to do better sometime, the
will not favor the abolition of a system tina
gives them a living until thes kno,
what it is proposed to substitute for it. Thi
preamble, which seems TO have been write
| bv some Socialist and run in" on the cor
venvention, says the new party favors sys
tenn under which labor shall be independer
Of capital" WE'LL we should like to see sue
a system just for curiosity. 1t would be some